New Focus delivers sleek, emotional new design with the bold new face
of Ford and a beautifully crafted cockpit-like interior

2015 Ford Focus

Upgraded powertrain line-up for Europe includes new 1.5-litre EcoBoost
petrol engine and new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine; fuel economy improved
by as much as 19 per cent over current Focus. Focus also will offer a 99
g/km CO2 version of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost New Focus includes the European
debut of SYNC 2, Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system that
features high-resolution colour touch screen and advanced voice control for
easier access to audio, navigation, climate control and mobile phones New
Focus is the first Ford globally to offer the new hands-free Perpendicular
Parking technology, which helps drivers reverse into spaces side-to-side
with other cars; Improved Active City Stop now works at speeds of up to 50
km/h Acclaimed Focus drive dynamics improved with stiffer front end,
revised suspension, retuned shock absorbers, Electric Power Assist Steering
and new Electronic Stability Programme

BARCELONA--Feb. 24, 2014: The new Ford Focus elevates the
world’s best-selling nameplate with a bolder, more emotive exterior
design, a finely crafted, intuitive new interior, a suite of life-enhancing
new technologies and major fuel economy improvements.

Debuting today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and unveiled next
week at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Focus’s sporty character and
driving appeal is burnished by a striking horizontal grille, a
cockpit-inspired interior and available paddle shifters. The new Focus, on
sale from the second half of 2014, also marks the European debut of SYNC 2,
Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system, as well as the new
1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol and TDCi diesel engines.

“We weren’t satisfied with being No. 1; we wanted to blow
people away with a stunning new version of the Focus,” said Stephen
Odell, president of Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “New
Focus marries modern design, advanced technology and leading fuel
efficiency with the fun-to-drive DNA for which Focus is rightly
acclaimed.”

Ford first launched the Focus in 1998 and since then more than 12
million have been sold worldwide, including 6.9 million in Europe. The
current Focus was confirmed last month as the world’s best-selling
vehicle nameplate based on Ford’s analysis of the Polk registration
data for the first nine months of 2013. Ford estimates Focus sales globally
reached 1.1 million in 2013, including more than 300,000 in China, making
it the best-selling passenger car in the fastest-growing new car market in
the world.

Sophisticated design

Ford has crafted a more sophisticated and advanced Focus with a redesign
that reflects the One Ford global design language that carries through the
new Mondeo and Fiesta.

Available in additional new exterior colours Deep Impact Blue and Glace
Blue, the new Focus has a lower, wider stance, with a new bonnet, front
fascia and grille. The bonnet is sculpted with a dynamic shape from the
front pillar to the corners of the upper part of the inverted trapezoid
grille to deliver a strong, proud look.

Slimmer, more chiselled front headlamps and more rectangular, elongated
fog-lamps add to the bolder front end. Subtle chrome details add to the
feeling of elegance while the rear of the car also is sleeker with a new
fascia and tailgate arrangement, as well as thinner tail lamps.

“The vision was to add more emotion to the design of Focus,”
said Martin Smith, executive design director, Ford of Europe. “The
new Focus is more toned, and more athletic, with more refined surface
language; and clearly offers a promise of the drive experience to
come.”

When redesigning the interior of the new Focus, Ford listened to
consumer feedback and responded with a more intuitive layout, complemented
by a steering wheel and central stack with fewer controls and switches. The
new black satin trim and chrome detailing contribute to a cleaner, more
modern look, and more logical and intuitive functions.

The new centre storage console offers more space as well as a new
sliding, integrated armrest. The new adjustable console accommodates a
variety of bottles and cups with the capacity to simultaneously hold a
1-litre water bottle and a 0.4-litre cup. New Focus customers also will
enjoy a quieter ride, achieved by thicker carpets, thicker side window
glass, and improved engine bay insulation.

“We’ve responded to a clear customer desire for more
simplicity inside the car, creating a clearer visual connection between the
key components and significantly reducing the number of buttons in the
cabin,” Smith added.

Touch screen control with SYNC 2

The new Focus will be the first vehicle in Europe to offer SYNC 2.
Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system features a
high-resolution, 8-inch colour touch screen and advanced voice control for
easier access to audio, navigation, climate control and compatible mobile
phones.

SYNC 2’s navigation system also offers for the first time in
Europe a split-screen display with detailed intersections, spoken street
names, 3D highway junction and landmark views, and the MICHELIN guide and
MICHELIN Green Guide. SYNC 2 enables drivers to issue simpler
“one-shot” navigation destinations, and to ask the system to
“play” a desired artist. Simply pushing the voice control
button and saying “I’m hungry” will bring up a list of
local restaurants, which you can then get directions to.

Advanced driving technologies

The new Focus takes the model’s acclaimed fun-to-drive DNA up a
level with enhanced handling and steering. Ford engineers have delivered a
more solid, responsive and connected-to-the-road feel by increasing the
structural stiffness at the front, revising the suspension geometry,
increasing lateral stiffness of “steering-relevant” suspension
bushes, retuning the shock absorbers and incorporating a new Electronic
Stability Programme. The Electric Power Assist Steering also has been
retuned to make the driver feel even more connected to the road.

The new Focus is the first Ford to offer Perpendicular Parking, a new
hands-free parking technology that helps drivers reverse into spaces
alongside other cars.

The current Focus introduced parallel parking aid Active Park Assist
that, at the push of a button, uses ultrasonic sensors to locate parking
spaces and steer the vehicle while the driver controls the accelerator and
brake. The addition of two new sensors to the rear of the new Focus enables
Perpendicular Parking to operate in the same way.

The extra sensors also enable Ford to offer for the first time in Europe
technologies that help drivers as they manoeuvre out of parking spaces:

Cross Traffic Alert warns drivers reversing out of a parking space of
vehicles that may soon be crossing behind them. Operating with radar at a
range of up to 40 metres (131 feet), the system will issue three distinct
warning signals if it detects a vehicle approaching Park-Out Assist helps
drivers as they exit a parallel parking space. After the driver has chosen
either the left or right hand side the system operates the steering while
the driver operates the accelerator and brake

Ford also has improved its popular Active City Stop collision avoidance
system, which pre-charges the brakes and – if the driver still does
not respond – reduces engine torque and automatically applies the
brakes to reduce the impact of collisions. It has been enhanced to operate
at speeds of up to 50 km/h, compared to 30 km/h with the current
version.

Ford also is introducing to Europe the Pre-Collision Assist system. This
works in a similar way to Active City Stop but with a much greater vehicle
detection range to support the driver at higher speeds, for example on the
motorway, by issuing warnings and if necessary applying braking.

The current Adaptive Cruise Control technology enables Focus drivers to
maintain a set distance from the vehicle ahead, even when that vehicle is
travelling more slowly than the cruise speed. For occasions when Adaptive
Cruise Control is not active, Ford is now introducing to Europe for the
first time the new Distance Alert and Indication system, which enables
drivers to set a preferred distance they would like to maintain with the
vehicle ahead. Should the driver get any closer, the system issues a
three-stage dashboard display warning – from grey to yellow to red
before a chime is sounded.

New Focus also will be equipped for the first time with Ford’s
MyKey technology. MyKey enables owners to programme a key – usually
for younger drivers – that restricts the top speed, reduces the
maximum volume of the audio system, and can disable it altogether if driver
and passengers are not using safety belts. The system can prevent the
driver from deactivating safety technologies such as Electronic Stability
Control and Active City Stop, which can help mitigate or prevent low-speed
collisions.

Lighting the way

The improved Adaptive Front Lighting System now adjusts the beams of the
new Bi-Xenon HID headlamps to best suit the road layout. The system
assesses the ambient light surrounding a vehicle, as well as objects in the
road ahead and then adjusts the headlight beam angle and intensity to one
of seven settings depending on the vehicle’s speed, steering angle
and distance to an object in front.

At high speeds, such as on a motorway, the headlights will be raised to
project a longer, straighter beam for visibility further ahead; in towns
where speeds are lower and street lighting more intense, the beam will
spread out downwards to more intensely illuminate the road immediately
ahead. When cornering at lower speeds, the system will project a beam
towards the side of the road to make cyclists and pedestrians more visible.
The system will support drivers cornering at higher speeds by directing
light further into the bend.

The new Focus will continue to offer previously introduced innovative
features that drivers have come to appreciate and rely on, such as Door
Edge Protector, which provides a buffer against accidental damage by
extending a protective flap that covers the door edges a split-second after
the door is opened.

“New Focus offers a host of new and cutting-edge features and
technologies, but at the same time this latest version has been refined and
simplified,” said Sherif Marakby, vehicle line director, Ford of
Europe. “The sophisticated redesign has given Focus a new, fresh and
modern style both inside and out, but the soul of Focus is the fun-to-drive
feeling you get when you’re behind the wheel, and we’ve not
compromised on that – in fact, we’ve improved it.”

Fuel efficient new engines

The new Focus offers significantly improved fuel efficiency on many
versions compared to the current model thanks to new powertrain options.
The most improved diesel model will offer a 19 per cent reduction in fuel
consumption, while the most improved petrol model will offer a 17 per cent
improvement.

The new Focus will be the first vehicle in Europe to offer the fuel
efficient new 1.5-litre EcoBoost (150 PS and 180 PS) petrol engine and also
will be offered equipped with the new 1.5-litre TDCi (95 PS and 120 PS)
diesel engine. The Focus will continue to be offered with the 1.0-litre
EcoBoost petrol engine (100 PS and 125 PS) that last year was chosen by a
third of Focus customers, and was named the 2012 and 2013 International
Engine of the Year. There will also be a new version of the 99 g/km CO2
1.0-litre EcoBoost, the first non-hybrid petrol family car in Europe to
offer sub-100 g/km CO2 emissions.

The 120 PS 1.5-litre diesel PowerShift automatic that will be introduced
next year will offer a 19 per cent improvement compared to the
equivalent-powered current Focus. The new Focus equipped with the automatic
transmission and award-winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that also will be
introduced next year will offer a 17 per cent improvement over the
equivalent powered engine it will replace. A 150 PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel
model will show a 14 per cent improvement when specified with a manual
gearbox (13 per cent with an automatic transmission).

“Diesel or petrol, the new Focus will offer engines that deliver a
compelling combination of significantly improved fuel efficiency and
surprising power – as well as the zero-emissions option offered by
the Focus Electric, our electrified version,” said Joe Bakaj, vice
president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “The new 1.5-litre
EcoBoost petrol engine will directly benefit from technologies pioneered by
the 1.0-litre EcoBoost – including an entirely new cylinder head
design with improved cooling and integrated exhaust manifold for best
possible performance and fuel efficiency, and reductions in weight and
friction of both internal components and accessories to help deliver a more
economical, smoother-running and freer-revving engine.”

The new Focus also will be available with paddle-shift controls that
enable drivers to control gear changes while keeping their hands on the
steering wheel. Paddle-shift controls will be available as an option with
all automatic and PowerShift transmissions, both diesel and petrol.

To meet growing customer demand for Focus, which is sold in more than
140 markets, Ford has now ramped up capacity worldwide to build the car in
eight plants on four continents. Factories in Germany, U.S., Russia, China,
Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan and Argentina have a combined capacity to produce
more than 1.5 million Focus vehicles annually at a rate of more than two
vehicles per minute. In Europe, Ford builds a new Focus every 90
seconds.

# # #

* The Ford Focus is the best-selling vehicle nameplate in the world,
based on Ford’s analysis of the latest Polk global vehicle
registration data through the third quarter of 2013.

The following titles and media identifications are trademarks
owned by The Auto Channel, LLC and have been in continuous use
since 1987: The Auto Channel, Auto Channel and TACH all have
been in continuous use world wide since 1987, in Print, TV,
Radio, Home Video, Newsletters, On-line, and other interactive
media; all rights are reserved and infringement will be acted
upon with force.